Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
“You’ve been checking your phone all day,” Kaylee commented as she tried to peek over her shoulder.
Skylar gasped, pressed the screen to her chest to hide it, and spun around. Thankfully her foundation hid her blush, but her embarrassed body language probably gave her away anyway.
“Sorry,” she grumbled, shoving her phone into her black apron pocket. “Just waiting for him to text me back.”
The woman cocked a blonde brow as a mischievous smile grew across her glossy-pink lips. “Things going that well, huh?”
Skylar averted her gaze to the side. “I guess.”
Kind of. She kept thinking she’d feel this spark or something, and nothing ever came.
But she wasn’t interested in trying with anyone else, and Oliver had been pleasant enough over text. He didn’t seem creepy, and came across genuinely interested, so she wanted to see how it went.
Or if meeting him in person would stop her from thinking about Mr Tentacles.
Guilt nipped at her chest whenever she thought about the fact that she hadn’t cleaned away his summoning circle.
It was always there, seeming to call her, and it was in the back of her mind.
She felt awful that whenever she texted Oliver, she kept thinking about glowing blue instead, when she really shouldn’t.
Oliver was a real person with an actual future she could share. Not a repeating one-night stand with a creature that probably didn’t give a shit about her and only wanted to feed off of her sexual energy.
“So... when’s the date?” Kaylee prodded, leaning back against the counter. When Skylar gave her a wary glance, she rolled her eyes. “Come on, I know you. You hate texting. I bet you’ve already tried to put your feelers out so you can meet him in person to know if he’s worth it.”
Skylar grimaced, hating how easily she’d been read.
“Friday night,” she conceded, peeking at her phone for the millionth time, and it was only Wednesday. “After work. He said he’s willing to come to Newtown, since I don’t have a car anymore to go to him.”
“Aww, that’s nice of him.” She slid her gaze down Skylar’s body and then back up. “Are you going to wear that piece you wore on your thirtieth last year?”
“Hell no.”
She tsked playfully. “Bitch, come on. I thought you looked like a sexy goth crow.”
The compliment made her want to squirm. “F-caw-f.”
Kaylee blinked at her, taken aback by her creative swearing. She snorted as she sucked in a shocked breath – the start of her hysterical cackle. “Oh my god!” she wheezed out.
Skylar shared in her laughter before bringing them back to the point. “You and I both know that’s too revealing for a first date.”
“Not if you want to get some good dicking in the back of his car.” She waggled her eyebrows and then laughed at Skylar’s aghast expression.
“Nah. You’re probably right. Best to take it slow so you know it’s real.
” Then she pulled out her own phone to check who pinged her and sneered before opening the message.
“All I ask is that if you get married, I get to be your maid of honour. I’ve never been one.
But I swear, if you make me wear some god-awful dress, I’ll strangle you with it – afterwards, of course. ”
Skylar’s eyes widened. “It’s a bit early to be saying that.”
She didn’t even know if she liked the guy!
Kaylee then began to text fast, her nails clicking against the screen as a scowl marred her face.
“Something wrong?”
“I broke up with Kyle last night,” she answered absentmindedly while texting without missing a beat.
“Excuse me, what?!” Skylar yelled, only to wince when multiple customers glanced up from their books or pulled away from hushed conversations with friends to look at her. She winced and waved in apology. “What do you mean, you guys broke up? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kaylee shifted her gaze up from her phone screen and blinked like a deer in headlights.
“I didn’t tell you?” She shrugged as if the news wasn’t anything big.
“He shouted at me because he lost a stupid video game, so I told him to get out. I hate that shit. Don’t take it out on me that you lost your online game when it’s not my fault. ”
Skylar figured this was just the final straw from a list of many issues, and Kaylee didn’t want to put up with him anymore. Kyle was usually a silent guy, but he could be rude when it suited him, condescending, and a little overbearing.
“Now he’s just being insufferable. He said he left his favourite jacket at my place, but I know I don’t have it. He just wants an excuse to talk to me in person, probably to apologise and make up, and I can’t be arsed.”
Skylar regarded her friend, whose expression was just bored as she looked around.
She didn’t care. She was entirely unbothered and had one foot out of their relationship for a while. When Kaylee brought her gaze to Skylar, her lips curled with distaste.
“I’m almost twenty-eight. I don’t have time to be messing around anymore.” Then she grinned as she pulled up the same dating app Skylar had. “Wanna help me make a profile?” she offered, tilting her phone Skylar’s way.
She laughed. “Sure, but we both know I’m not going to be any good.”
“That’s fine. I think it’ll be more fun if you help me swipe like I did for you. Maybe I can get married first, and you can be my maid of honour instead. Actually no, I think Taylor would be mad if I didn’t pick her.”
Taylor was her roommate and had been her best friend for over fifteen years.
Forgetting about her own guy – and the not-so-human guy – problems, she felt lighter as she slid in next to her friend.
They spent the day greeting customers and swiping left on most guys. Kaylee was less picky, though.
She did often lift her gaze to Malcom’s favourite spot, one of the only places the sun hit the inside of the café in the afternoon.
He’s going to be so stoked.
Skylar may have rejected every guy Kaylee showed interest in just so Malcom could get the first shot.